Q	How did you find out about it or get involved?
A	I felt that motherhood meant I could no longer sell my ‘brainpower’ (due to sleep deprivation) or travel around freely (because I didn’t really want to be away from my baby too long) so consultancy was no longer an option. I decided to sell a product instead. I spotted an ad in a local paper specifying a product which I thought sounded interesting.

Q	What negative experiences did you have in the past with NM?
A	Getting into a lonely, anxious downward spiral of disappointment and failure. I’ve learnt that the one essential element of a job in network marketing is a supportive, honest, ethical sponsor and a good team behind him or her dedicated to training and motivation. ‘Their success is my success and my success is their success’ and that is why they are paid bonuses on my activity!

Q	What investment did it take to get started?
A	A £40 payment. In return I received £80 worth of books (these days a CDRom is included) plus plenty of sales aids to get started. I found that I more than recouped my investment with my launch party which I held at home. DK offers a very attractive package and I recruited three people into my team from that first party. That was a very exciting start!

Q

Where do you do most of your NM?

A

I do a bit of everything. I have email customers, I do parties, I take a table at events (although these are best seen as an opportunity to develop your network rather than for direct selling), I sell in the playground at school, I have personal customers, I sell to anyone who knocks on my door – even the man who delivers the books is a customer. Every time something breaks down now I just think – great, someone new will be coming to the door who I can tell about the business or ask for referrals! There is also an opportunity to ‘give something back’ through fundraising. I recently organised a shopping event for the Greatest Coffee Morning in the World. I invited other party plan distributors such as Virgin Vie and KidzBitz and we raised £128 for Macmillan Cancer Relief.

Q	Where do you work at home and do you need to store goods?
A	I work everywhere and anywhere! You only need a shoebox to keep cheque books and recent orders. As time has gone on, I have needed more space as my collection of free books and CDRoms has grown and we now have a wall of new bookshelves in the living room to collect them together. But this is quite useful as friends and customers can have a look at my stock any time they care to visit.

Q	Do you manage to keep your work and home life separate?
A	I have never kept my work and home life separate – I’m an all or nothing kind of person so everything gets mixed up together.

Q	What are the negative points about working at home and NM?
A	Boxes and bubble wrap. Every time you get a delivery it is like Christmas – total chaos.

Q

Do you do your NM part time or full time?

A

The great thing about DKFL is that it offers a totally flexible business. You can work either part-time or full-time - or a mixture of the two! I work a totally erratic week and work at all sorts of times and for different amounts of time - so it fits in around all the other things going on in my life. Unusually in NM, DKFL allows you to keep every discount level you achieve even if you don't work for a period of time.

Q	Does your NM cover the cost of the time you put into it?
A	It depends on the value I put on my time - at this stage it wouldn't keep the wolf from the door but I see my cheques growing and I know that if I keep working at it then I will have a very secure pension - and a lot of friends downline and upline.

Q	What sort of work do you also do (or before you did NM full time)?
A	Since I got involved in Network Marketing, I’ve held a Non-Executive Directorship in the NHS, tried out franchising, stood as a local councillor and been actively involved in local groups and charities. I’ve also developed my own website and produce an ezine for homeworking parents!

Q

What advice would you suggest to someone considering Network Marketing?

A

Do your research – get to know the company and the product, go to as many meetings as you can, know what you want out of it, make sure that your sponsor wants to succeed and is prepared to take you with them and that the rewards of the business are what you really want. Understand that it is a numbers game and that the more work you do the more success you will get. Also understand that it takes time - it is not ‘get rich quick’. The difference between this and a ‘job’ is that you earn consistently with a job. Network Marketing takes a long time to rev up but when it does take off then the world is your lobster!